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Sunday, September 7, 2014

PUDDLE JUMPING

According to the current on-line dictionary the definition of puddle jumping is: the action of flying an airplane for only short distances or making many stops. Now I don't fly an airplane, at least not yet ( in fact probably never since I don't like flying...but you never know), so what in the name of Paul Bunyon am I talking about it?

Actually, when talking about puddle jumping, the second half of that definition, making many stops, is the focus. At tea with a friend the other day we were discussing dreams, plans, the usual. The more we talked the realization that she wanted everything to be perfect before she jumped in materialized. Also she hoped I would convince her it was perfect, so she could go ahead. In contrast, jumping in and figuring out how to make it work is a better scenario for myself. Because of that philosophy, life has been so much fun and I have learned so much, made so many friends, and rediscovered my love of history.

Colorado Blue Columbine, first written of in the
journal of Edwin James, botanist on the
Long Expedition in 1820

A few years ago I mentioned to a producer friend I would like to do a one woman show. After about a month she told me she had a venue and a time, and asked "was I going to do it?" What do you think? Six weeks later with a bit of research the show had a great weekend run. That led to researching the Pikes Peak Region and onto storytelling gigs. It led to Helen (Hunt) Jackson and Katharine Lee Bates, who have led me a merry chase that's been a great joy along with a nice bit of payment. (On Saturday, Sept 6, I sang 'America the Beautiful' as KLB for the rededication of the Municipal Building built in 1904)

You see where this is going? When asked to submit a proposal for the Pikes Peak Regional History Symposium, the story of Karol W. Smith was published along with the talk on cable. Of course, the next year the story of the Cripple Creek volcano had to be told. That area around Cripple Creek/Victor is the setting for more than one story in the works. The town of Florissant just north of those towns, joined the others to play a part in the story "Home For His Heart" published by Prairie Rose Publications.

As a child, how many have been told they couldn't do that, follow your dream but have something to fall back on. Don't jump in the puddles, you'll get wet. Sorry, life's too short, getting wet is fun, and oh the joy of jumping in and learning so many things that lead to other things. What a joy! So the next time someone says, "can you do..." guess what the answer could be. In the meantime 'Dirty Woman', her sawmill and ranch are calling for more research. Andrew needs to be saved, a former Pinkerton wants to fall in love and the wife of a murderer wants to tell her story. The people in my head are clamoring to get out, so until next time, enjoy those puddles.

For fun I leave you with some quotes:

"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be." Lao Tzu

"Only those who will risk going to far can possibly find out how far one can go." T.S. Eliot

"It is never to late to be what you might have been." George Eliot

and lastly from one of my favorites:

"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did, so throw off the bowlines, sail away from safe harbor, catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore, Dream,Discover." Mark Twain

18 comments:

I'm probably the antithesis of what your blog encourages. I've avoided showing up for a whole lot of things. My high school violin teacher wanted me to audition for the youth orchestra--I didn't. My biology teacher wanted me to go to a science camp for gifted students--I didn't. The co-owner of a comedy club that had just opened wanted me to do a 10 minute comedy routine--I didn't. A local teacher wanted me to come to school and talk to her class about my writing career and participate in showing her students how to get started creating a story--I didn't.However, I did do something that, for me, took all the courage I possessed. While researching about flying planes for a book I was writing, a friend of mine invited me to fly with him in a small Cessna. Even though I'm terrified of flying, I did it. My best friend who is a colonel in the Air force, invited me to fly with her team on a C130. I called in sick at work which was something I never do and flew on that huge monster. I felt as though I had won the lottery on both those trips because I was able to conquer my fear to do it. I'm still afraid of flying. Even so, I did fly to Las Vegas for my nephew's wedding and, even though my family acted like untamed jackasses while we were there, I did have a good time.You never really know what you can make yourself do. Sometimes you can do a thing, and sometimes you can't. The trick is not to beat yourself up for the things you just can't force yourself to do and celebrate those you can.A very inspiring blog, Doris.

I totally agree Sarah, We only know what we truly can do is when we face those fears and go for it. (I do fly, I just don't like it. ). I love that you went flying. Sometimes our instincts tell us not to do something, and I believe honoring that, but it doesn't show up in my life that often.

Thank you for the kind words. I do hope that others will follow their dreams, and if I can help that, it does feel good. Doris

I agree with Sarah--I think a lot of it depends on our families and the way we were raised. My parents were both raised in the Oklahoma Dustbowl days of the Great Depression. So they were constantly worried about making certain there would be "steady" threads in our lives. Dad worked a grueling job in the oilfields as a chemical engineer--what that meant was, he could be called out 24/7 on a well and had to be the one to decide what kind of chemicals to add to bring the oil up--sometimes it happened, and sometimes it didn't. He had a wonderful reputation in that field, but it was hard. Mom kept the home fires burning--with three daughters--my sisters were much older than me--10 and 12 when I was born. So by then, life was steady, stable and we were settled in a kind of "Leave It To Beaver" world in a small Oklahoma town. I think Mom and Dad always wanted to encourage us girls to "jump out and take the plunge"--but we could not ever shake that ingrained feeling of "having something to fall back on." I remember when I told my parents I wanted to be a writer (when talk of college came up). Both of them raised their eyebrows and said, "How will you make a living, though?" LOL

I admire anyone who can just cast caution to the winds and do the daring things that secretly, we all want to do. Great post, Doris! I'm so glad you're one of those people--that's truly an inspiration!

Cheryl,I give my mother credit for my life. Although she was raised in foster homes through the 30's and early 40's, both she and my father always gave me the idea that I could do whatever I wanted as long as I took the responsibility for it. I am forever grateful.

When I look at your starting a publishing company I am so inspired. I think we all puddle jump, we just don't always realize it.

I hear you Kirsten, I think my back up plan...learning to swim. Just kidding. We each find our way to push the boundaries, even when we don't think we are. I hope that my experiences will encourage others to look at what they have done and accomplished, and what they still can do. We all have so much still inside.

Great post Doris. It sounds like you are having the time of your life. I am at heart a very cautious person, but now it seems like it or not I will be free to jump into as many puddles as like. Funny how our lives can turn on a dime. I wish you great success in your adventures and I hope I can learn to embrace jumping into puddles as much as you do.

Puddle-jumping is a great metaphor for giving 'life' to our dreams and having the courage to take the failures right along with the successes.

As William Shakespeare so aptly wrote: We know what we are, but know not what we may be.

I puddle-jumped right into to the PRP puddle at about the time I was at my lowest point in my writing (with persistent nudging from Cheryl). In fact, I wasn't sure I'd ever come up with another story again. I am soooooo glad I did ( [Thank you, Cheryl].

The next puddle-jump was requesting the publishing rights back on the first two western romances I ever wrote. Now that was a deep and scary puddle. So now I have the reverted rights, and I'm excited for the opportunity to submit the stories to Cheryl and Livia (soon, just have to get my airplane revved up for another puddle-jump).

Aw, Kaye. That just brought tears to my eyes. You never know what you might say that means the world to someone else. I'm soooo glad I nagged you! LOL We can't let you hide your light under a bushel basket, as my mom used to say. I feel great now that I "nudged" you and that you thought about it and acted on it. As well as getting your rights back! YAY!Cheryl

This is a post I needed to read today, because I'm just about to jump another puddle--a big puddle, no life preserver. I'm going to do it, there's no doubt about that. I've been jumping puddles all my life, in all my careers. Not once did I have any idea what I was doing, just dove in headfirst and asked questions later. That's just what I do. But there's a definite downside. Sometimes there are rocks at the bottom of that puddle. Sometimes even sharks.

All of publishing is a huge risk. You might hit it big and you might not--but you never know if you don't write the next story and get it out there.

Jacquie, you made my day. Like you say, we never know, and jumping is full of risks, but the the outcomes, priceless. Whatever puddle you're jumping into I wish you well, and the rocks, while a bit painful, can give you footing for the next jump. Doris

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Prairie Rose Publications

Welcome to PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS

PRP is a publishing company devoted to publishing westerns and western romances written by women.

PRAIRIE ROSE PUBLICATIONS was opened in August, 2013, by LIVIA J. WASHBURN and CHERYL PIERSON, two authors who saw a need for such an imprint. Usually, when people think “westerns” they think of male authors and male readers—but that’s not true in today’s world. Many women are just as interested in reading—and writing—westerns as their male counterparts; and of course, western romance has always been popular among the ladies!